William j



(ModeL) W. J. MILLER.

Corset Patented Oct. 5,1880,

PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHXNGTON. D. C

UNITED STATEs PATENT Orrrcn.

WILLIAM J. MILLER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF OF HISRIGHT TO JAMES M. CURTIS, OF SAME PLACE.

CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 233,001, dated October5, 1880,

Application filed July 13, 1880. (Model) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Corsets; andI do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which ita-p-1o pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference markedthere on, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to that class of corsets the object of which isto secure an easy and comfortable fit at the hips of the wearer.

Great difficulty is experienced by wearers in fitting the corsetcomfortably over the hips, and some efforts have been made. to removethis difficulty in the manufacture of corsets; but so far as myknowledge extends they have not proven entirely satisfactory.

My improvement is intended to overcome this difficulty; and therefore itconsists, first,

in an expanding self-adjusting bone-stiffening formed by inserting thewhalebones or stays in diagonal pockets, so as to form a miter directlyover the hip; second, in forming curved spaces without bones or stays infront or rear 0 of the hip-whalebones, to secure flexibility to thatportion of the corset most liable to break; and, finally, in the novelconstruction of the corset, as will be hereinafter more fully set forthand specifically claimed. These im- 3 5 provements permit the rest ofthe corset to bend and adj ust itself to the body of the wearer, andallow the body of the wearer to bend freely, and do not disturb or breakthe whalebones over the hips.

0 Figure 1 of the drawings is areprcsentatiou of the upper portion of afemale with my improved corset adjusted to the body. Fig. 2is' anenlarged side view of the corset with a few of the pockets broken awayto show the diag- 5 onally-arranged whalebones. Fig. 3 is a side view ofthe hip part, showing a modification of the curve spaces withoutwhalebones arranged on opposite or both sides of the diagonally-arrangedwhalebones.

In the annexed drawings 1 have shown my improvements applied to a corsetcomposed of two parts, united by the ordinary lacing behind and by theusual fastening in front; hence I do not wish to confine my improvementsto this style of corsets.

In the manufacture of the corset, which is in the usual way, the sideportion of each half is formed with a dividing-line, I), extending fromthe top at a point under the arm of the wearer to the bottom over thehip bone. The breast or front section, A, and rear section, A, areunited on this line, thus constituting a seam. That portion of thematerial .intended to fit over the hip is made full, and each section atthis point is formed with a number of diagonal pockets, (1, varying inlength, the shortest being at the lowercoruer,

e, of the material. Within these pockets, which are preferably closed attheir upper ends before the sections are united, are in- 7o serted thewhalebones or stays corresponding with the length of the pockets, so asto form a miter-joint directly over the hip, for the purpose hereinafterdescribed.

The whalebones or stays areint-roducedinto the pockets from the bottomor lower edge of the corset, and extend upwardly on a slight curve up tothe most projecting part of the hip-bone, the opposite bones in theother section meeting to form a miter. The sections are now sewed on theline b, forming a seam, and the stays are held from displacement orfurther upward movement by the formed seam running down over the centerof the hip-piece. The stays thus inserted and meeting at the center-seamline form a convex triangle or natural contour for the hips that closelyfits over them and makes a perfect-shaped sloping hip, the most pleasingfeature of the feminine form. This feature of inserting the whalebonesor 0 stays in the hip-piece at'angles, so as to form a miter directlyover the hip-bone, which forms a natural contour for the hip, andretaining them from upward displacement by the seam, is important, sincethe, hip-piece will not lie flat, but will retain a natural curve fitfor the hip, whereby the desired fine-shaped hip on the wearer isobtained 5 also, an easy and comfortable fit at the hip is securedwithout imposing any strain or discomfort to the wearer. rco

On a line with the diagon all y-arran ged stays in the breast-sectionand the laced slit i is a boneless curved space or web, D. The object ofthis curved space or web, which may be arranged in front or rear, orboth front and rear, as seen in Fig. 3, is to secure flexibility to thatportion of the corset most liable to break, and to allow the body tobend withoutdisturbing the stays over the hips. This curved space or webD is formed by runninga bone or stayon a curve just above and just belowthe space to secure the desired perfect fit. The object of this secondfeature of the invention is to give ease and flexibility to thehip-piece in its ad- 15 justment, thereby making this factor anessential elem entfor the other. Without this factorthe curve spacethemitered stays would not work with ease on the hip, but on the contrarywould cause discomfort to the wearer. Thus by combining the two featuresabove described the hip-pieces will closely cover the hip-bones, and thecurve boneless spaces will readily permit the hip-pieces to conform tothe movement of the body.

I claim the right to cut and then sew up the space, or the space can beformed without cutting it at all.

I am aware that curved stays arranged in the hip portion, in combinationwith an open flexible joint with lacing means capable of being adjustedand laced over the hips of the wearer, is not new; but

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. A corset having an expanding self-adjusting stay-stiffening formed ofstays of different lengths inserted in diagonal pockets of correspondinglengths, and arranged substantially as described, so as to form a miterdirectly over the hip-bone, as set forth.

2. In a corset, the flexible curved web D, constructed substantially asdescribed, and arranged in front or rear of the hip-line and hip-stays,for the purpose of securing flexibility to that portion of the corsetmost liable to break.

3. The combination, in a corset, of the expanding self-adjustingstay-stiffenings, constructed substantially as described, with thecurved portions without stays arranged in front or rear of thehip-stays, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two withesses.

WILLIAM J. MILLER.

Witnesses:

THOMAS BRADY, JNo. B. OoRLIss.

